The hotel is nice, the price less so. Review Conrad Washington
It is no secret that among the 5-star signs, Conrad is the one I prefer. There is no luxury of [...]
United States of America
It is no secret that among the 5-star insignia is Conrad the one I prefer. There is none of the luxury of the Waldorf Astoriam, the St. Regis, or the Ritz Carlton. The hotels named after the founder of the American chain are generlamente modern, with modern and essential design.
Reservation
In this article:
On the occasion of our vacation we decided to try just three of these top-level signs, all located within a radius of 2km. First the Waldorf Astoria, then this Conrad and finally the Ritz Carlton. All three reservations made with the points.
This stay would have cost us 750$ per night, including taxes, We ended up spending 80k Hilton Honors points per night. An absolutely convenient conversion also because mine are not bought points, but obtained for free by staying in the hotels of each category and taking advantage as much as possible of the promotions, which are generous that Hilton Honors publishes.
Did you get your flight cancelled, miss your connection, land late?
You could get up to 600€ compensation per person
Paying cash take advantage of Hilton Impresario
Of course we could have exploited Hilton Impresario to pay cash for the room and if we had stayed the next week I definitely would have, also because the price in points was the same, but the cash price dropped to less than half. And in this case the benefit is to get free breakfast (minimum value 40$ per person/night) to which you add 100$ to spend in the facility and if you also have the status an additional 25$ credit per person.
Hilton Impresario is free and allows you to get all these benefits, even without status and, not insignificantly, gives double points for each stay during 2024.
One thing that many people often ask me. When we travel with my daughter (who is 10 years old). I almost never point her out in the reservation in these hotels, never had a problem with her sleeping with us In the king bed or the two queen beds, depending on the reservation. At most, I was asked to pay for breakfast.
Location
If WA is practically on the Constitution Mall. and on one side he sees Capitol Hill and on the other side the White House, here we are in a decidedly more modern neighborhood. The whole neighborhood is new, here is CityCenterDC a multifuctional complex with hotels, high-end boutiques, pedestrian zone and many restaurants.
You can walk everywhere-from the White House to the Smithsonian, from the Capital Arena to the convention center. Also perfect for an on-the-road trip since it has underground parking (very expensive) and significantly cheaper street parking.
The structure
If the Waldorf is in a historic structure from the 1800s, the former Post Office headquarters, this is a building built in 2019. A cube of steel and glass, surrounded by other ultramodern buildings.
The all-curved shape, compared to the squarer buildings around it, makes this hotel instantly recognizable throughout the area.
Check-in
After spending a day around DC we got the notification on the app that the room was ready, so we headed to the hotel also because we also had to release our rental car, so we arrived at the hotel around 2:30 p.m., unloaded our luggage and within 5 minutes we had the keys, two small bottles of ice water in our hands and an attendant was taking our luggage to the room.
If you want, you can check in on the street level via app and go straight up to your room or go through the 3rd floor where the main reception is.
In these categories of hotels, it is always better to do it in person, be told about all that the facility offers and possible changes. For example, it was explained to us that the rooftop would be closed the next day for a private event.
The room
Having upgrades in the U.S. is not a given, this hotel then does not have as many room types, but we were lucky to be promoted from a basic room, the one that booked with points always costs less, to a corner room penultimate floor of the hotel.
The best view from the bed is at sunrise, and if you're jetlagged it's a really nice way to wait for breakfast time. Corner rooms are always larger than normal and often have a double view as well, but if your room is in a facility where concrete (almost) doesn't exist then the 180-degree view of DC you enjoy it all It's just too bad the building wasn't higher than a couple of stories, it would have been perfect.
The two rough concrete support columns only the only barrier that disturbs the view. Along the glass wall run, with difficulty, two curtains that are managed (poorly) by buttons above the bedside tables.
The king bed is very comfortable, but it does not have a topper as I expect in these facilities.
The view also expands from the bathroom. Here, too, essential, clean and modern set-up.
Otherwise standard equipment for this type of hotel, stocked mini-bar, coffee maker, bathrobe and all.
Lots of sockets, however, no international sockets, but a button to turn off all the lights in one click and close the curtains easily.
The structure
The hotel is large, but in truth it does not offer much. On the third floor are 99% of the public spaces. There is a small terrace where you can acclimatize to the temperature outside.
There is a small lounge with two huge sofas under the huge opening from which there is a view of the various floors of the hotel. Here is the nice bar with an adjoining relaxation area.
Continuing to walk in circles, one arrives at the hotel restaurant. Here breakfast is served, I remind you not included for those with status, because the benefit in American Hilton Hotels is replaced by a credit to spend in the hotel.
On the opposite side are a couple of meeting rooms, what looks like a second restaurant (but it was always closed), and a small area to work, with two computers and a small sofa.
There is the hotel gymnasium, all new and high-tech. The hotel does not have a pool or spa, and there is nothing else except the rooftop
The rooftop
On the top floor is the rooftop bar. Very nice location to appreciate the curvy shape of the structure and especially to enjoy a view of DC rooftops. Unlike other American cities there are no skyscrapers here, the WA clock tower, the Capitol Hill dome and the George Washington obelisk can be seen very well and are not hidden by other buildings.
Here we had two cocktails and chips with guacamole, a perfect appetizer while enjoying a beautiful sunset.
Breakfast
A la carte menu and no buffet. Reservation through Hilton Impresario allows you to not pay for breakfast and thus save on your stay. Of course, there is also a special offer for children.
We sampled the two dishes recommended by the waiter: breakfast brioche and yogurt with berries, while my daughter went safe with scrambled eggs and bacon.
In conclusion
Honestly not worth 800$ per night, certainly the hotel is stylish, modern and the staff is excellent, but at this price (both cash and points) there is definitely better. If instead booked at a more competitive price and/or through Impresario, things change And then it becomes a more than viable option.
Pro
- Location
- Rooftop
- Room
Against
- The price
- No pool, spa or public spaces
- Home automation throwing a tantrum